Hollywood Astrophysics

Hollywood Astrophysics

PHYS S1020 (CRN: 30124) | Syllabus

Instructors: Frank Robinson
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 10.00-11.45
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Online Course. In this course, students learn how to critically evaluate Hollywood’s representation of aspects of modern physics (relativity, quantum mechanics and modern-day climate change). After being given the background physics and quantitative training required to understand a particular topic, students will typically be shown a movie clip and asked to quantitatively judge the veracity of the physics in the scene. Is it a good or bad representation of what happens according to the laws of physics? Assignments will involve both solving physics word problems and explaining how physics concepts are used in movies. If you claim movies such as “Interstellar” or “The Day after Tomorrow” violate the laws of physics, you need to be able to back up that claim with sound physical reasoning. This is what students learn to do in Hollywood Astrophysics. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.

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